Cops nab group with endangered animals

By FROILAN GALLARDO,
Special Correspondent

POLICE manning a checkpoint in Tandag City on Sunday intercepted vehicles with exotic and endangered animals believed to be Metro Manila-bound for a lucrative market there.

A cursory check on two vehicles, Ford Everest and a Toyota Innova,  yielded cages of parrots, exotic monitor lizards and other endangered species at the checkpoint in Barangay Buenavista, Tandag City in Surigao del Sur.

Lt. Col. Christian Rafols II, police spokesperson for Caraga, said when police officers at a checkpoint in Barangay Buenavista demanded a permit to transport wildlife, the three suspects on board the vehicles could not produce any.

Rafols said police immediately detained the suspects who were identified as Dante L. Toledo, 40, of Kalumpang, General Santos City; Joel C. Demoral, 38, of Bulua, Cagayan de Oro City; and Jory C. Demoral, 51, of Bankerohan, Davao City.

He said police found cages of parrot, exotic lizards and other endangered species from the vehicles.

“Personnel from the DENR together with our police officers are still conducting an inventory on the birds and animals,” Rafols said.

Rafols said they believed the endangered animals came from Mati City and were being transported overland to Pasay City where a lucrative illegal wildlife trade exists.

“The forests around Mati city is a biodiversity hotspot and smugglers find it lucrative to bring the birds and animals to Manila,” he said.

Rafols said cases for violation of the Animal Welfare Act of 1998 will be filed against the suspects.

The Asian Development Bank in its March 2019 report estimated the value of illegal wildlife trade in the Philippines at P50 billion a year.

Biodiversity Conservation Society of the Philippines in 2016 said the Philippines is a biodiversity hotspot and losing its many terrestrial and endemic species in a rapid rate.